EV without Home Charger ?

Lmindlessshopper on 29/03/2026 - 18:19

As we have been bombarded with fuel shortages news and some of the petrol stations are now actually have tags on the nozzle handle indicating fuel not available. Is it actually possible to own an EV car without home charger ?
Not yet looking but just out of shower thoughts, I live in a share house now without obviously power outlet for the car, if I move out it'll be an apartment so I guess same scenario.

Some people might will say Hybrid, but are they even that reliable, heard people saying yes it saves you bucks but the repair of the car in the event of damage will also costly.
Wonder what OzBargainers actually think.

Automotive Electric Vehicle

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  • capslock on 29/03/2026 - 19:00
    +24

    There are plenty of EV chargers in public places. What's the point of buying a hybrid when you still need to buy petrol and pay to service the car?

    • 2esc on 30/03/2026 - 08:43
      +3

      Your not buying as much petrol though.

      • LFO on 30/03/2026 - 14:20
        -1

        But still buying petrol.
        So if there is crisis-like rationing you'll have the the same fuel nightmares.

    • mindlessshopper on 29/03/2026 - 19:05

      Thats actually a good way to see it.
      It does still rely on petrol and after all the price surge and actually paying for 2.8/L. Maybe thats why EV is preferred over Hybrid !
      Speaking of public EV chargers, are they actually comparable to petrol ?, how about the time it takes to charge the car ! yes if its Westfield, you left it charged for hours and you deal with your shopping but so far the infrastructure only accomodating small number of EVs.

      • TheFreaK on 30/03/2026 - 13:37
        +7

        I did a Melb > Sydney trip and my longest stop was like 20 minutes, which was perfect for us to get out, go toilet, stretch legs maybe grab some snacks

        • achew on 30/03/2026 - 23:22
          +2

          Similar experience. Newcastle to Melbourne + return journey. 3 stops each way in a Tesla Model 3. Planned by the car's trip computer, no hassles at all.
          Melbourne's northern highways suck. Be prepared to spill your coffee.

        • sween64 on 30/03/2026 - 15:59

          Which car and what DC charging rates were you getting?

          • Dr Prepper on 31/03/2026 - 08:55
            +1

            @sween64: I've done Syd-Melb regularly with Byd Seal Premium which does 650 km in eco mode per charge. I actually make more toilet / coffee stops but usually its a single DC charge . BYD Seal can only charge at 150kw /hr but its battery is 82.5kw. I usually stop at NRMA Evie Tarcutta charger becuase its cheaper with NRMA discount or if I get an evie voucher then charge 40% to 85% . Takes about 25 minutes.

            Grok said the optimum place to stop is Barnwartha but i will charge earlier because i need dunny breaks.

            Then just charge overnight for free AC at the hotel we stay at.

    • BestTechAdvisor on 30/03/2026 - 10:45

      What's the point of buying a hybrid when you still need to buy petrol and pay to service the car?

      So that you can enjoy the benefits of petrol on demand? You don't need to buy petrol if you're not using petrol.

  • MrHyde on 29/03/2026 - 19:12
    +17

    EVs are very cheap if you charge at home. Public EV chargers will cost atleast double.

    Saying that, EVs can be charged off any power socket - so do you have any power point in your share house that you can run to the car - leave it charging overnight and that is usually enough for most daily usage. It does heavily depend on what your driving patterns are though. Less than 100KMs a day, easily charged through a normal 10A power point over night.

    With apartment, a bit more problematic - many apartments don't allow any charging in the car park.

    • Jared17 on 29/03/2026 - 19:21
      +2

      My apartment building actually has a few chargers in the basement car park. But may be just for newer built ones

      • mindlessshopper on 29/03/2026 - 19:29

        I wonder how they bill you accordingly if you charge in the basement car park.

        • MrHyde on 29/03/2026 - 19:38
          +5

          Varies - some newer apartments have a metered charger that is activated with a swipe card - so, they can keep track of who has used it and I assume, they will charge them accordingly.

          Some apartments have the same companies who run the public EV infrastructure also run their chargers - residents get charged at the same rate as the public EVs

          Some apartments allow residents to pay to have their own charger installed in their parking spot.

          Some apartments allow the use of power points in the car park.

          Some apartments don't allow EVs at all; let alone chargers.

          So, need to shop around if you have an EV and want to live in an apartment.

          • mindlessshopper on 29/03/2026 - 19:41
            +1

            @MrHyde: Cant imagine owning an EV first and actually choose my apartment based on that but good to know the thoughts of Ozbargainers including you, thanks !

          • loropy9 on 29/03/2026 - 22:48

            @MrHyde: Is body corporate able to restrict EV ownership? It doesn't sound legal.

            • Parentheses on 30/03/2026 - 17:10
              +1

              @loropy9: Ownership, no. Parking in a carpark, yes. There were some panicky pearl-clutchers who saw cheap Chinesium scooters and such cooking off and decided to ban parking EVs in their carpark so their building doesn't burn down.

            • trankillity on 30/03/2026 - 08:27

              @loropy9: No, but in a body corp/strata situation, you only own the stuff inside your walls. So a communal carpark is owned by them, which means you need their permission to install a charger which becomes tricky for billing because a communal carpark is for everyone, so everyone would technically need to front your car charging bill. If you had a townhouse with an attached garage, no problems. But a unit with a carpark, definitely problems.

              • eddyah on 30/03/2026 - 10:07

                @trankillity: Older apartments have individual meters for the units on a larger switchboard making it possible for additional circuits just on the apartment in question and then a cable run that needs to be strata approved to the charging spot ideal for the car space/parking

        • Jared17 on 29/03/2026 - 23:01

          No idea tbh as I dun own a EV yet. But I will ask the building manager and report back if i got a reply

        • Jared17 on 05/04/2026 - 23:17

          Just confirmed. Those in my building carpark belongs to chargefox network. Apparently you download an app register your credit card and they bill you. Or you ask for a physical card they send you and I guess use it like a charge card whenever you charge the car?

        • Dr Phil on 30/03/2026 - 08:23
          -1

          You will find out if and when strata installs them or when you move into another place that has them.
          Meanwhile you must rely on public chargers

    • Jaspa7 on 30/03/2026 - 18:59
      +1

      personally, I had 15A outlet installed for about $350 plus another $200 for a 15amp charger module.. that's just right for charging that little faster when the sun is out on the weekends

    • mindlessshopper on 29/03/2026 - 19:29

      Yes, but speaking from mainly for work use which obviously less than 100km a day.
      I guess with apartments, the electricity bill is hard to split accordingly with the pre-existing infrastructure.

  • djsweet on 30/03/2026 - 07:43
    +10

    One of the most interesting questions out of all this is: now that petrol prices have gone up will they ever go back down? Maybe a bit, but I suspect the average petrol price will be permanently and significantly jacked.

    • Porker on 30/03/2026 - 09:41
      +6

      My opinion is that with all these 'temporary' price increases, if people demonstrate that they're still willing to pay for the inflated price, then there's no reason to bring it back down.

      The temporary Covid inflation never left and then along came shrinkflation. :(

      The only thing that appears to have some influence on prices, at least with local dining, is more competition.

    • mindlessshopper on 31/03/2026 - 13:14

      that is exactly my thoughts, it will never go down, we have seen it happened and happening

  • mtrkr on 30/03/2026 - 11:10
    +9

    Amusing to read so many replies from those who've not had any experience using EV, full of misinformation and factual errors, while those who actually use EVs know that this is 2026 and that in most Australian urban areas, it's quite feasible to own/use a EV without home garage charging (if that's your main worry). After 4 years of us using a Tesla3 without ever charging at home, using a mix of Tesla superchargers everywhere from Brisbane right now to Melbourne/Sydney and parts of regional NSW, we've never had a problem nor had to queue much at all (maybe twice in 4 years?). Also, with streetside powerpole charging, which takes longer (but not as long as a standard powerpoint at home, which is doable if overnight), the costs are still significantly cheaper than petrol prices – and that's before the dumb Iran war, when prices were about $1.70/L (yes, we still keep an old mazda6 wagon, used maybe once a fortnight). Prices for charging at Tesla superchargers range from 38cents/kwh to just over 50cents at superchargers on the highways between sydney-canberra-melbourne fwiw. While suburban powerpole chargers cost about 38 cents/kwh around sydney. So most weeks that's always under $22 to fill up our tesla3 from 10ish% to 100% for about 410km range – and for those misinformed about battery life, our t3 battery degradation after 4 years and nearly 100,000km of driving is about 4% down from new.

    • ReaperX22 on 31/03/2026 - 11:51
      +2

      I agree with all your points though I think it's worth pointing out for some there's a psychological barrier of entry here to EVs.

      It's that constant 'what if I'm not close enough to a charge point… what if I rock up and all the chargers are out of service…' vs 'I can go to a servo, car is filled in 2 mins, and servos are everywhere'. Comes back to peace of mind for some people. I picked a Hybrid (non plugin) for this reason - sometimes I just want to be able to think less/keep things simple.

      Ensuring you keep in mind local chargers, chargers along your route, especially for longer trips, and time planning around charge wait times, are still important considerations for a lot of people. I'm not saying an EV doesn't make economical sense/it can work out/be done; but just my own personal thought process was 'it's another thing to add to my daily(or weekly) thoughts' that I just don't currently need. (1-car household if that matters)

      I fully expect to own an EV as my next car, though. (My hybrid is 2024, so talking like post 2030 or onward, depending where life takes me! Ha)

      • mtrkr on 31/03/2026 - 17:31
        -1

        and this "It's that constant 'what if I'm not close enough to a charge point… what if I rock up and all the chargers are out of service…' vs 'I can go to a servo, " is another furphy. Those who don't use EV clearly don't know the common knowledge of good apps like PlugShare ,which are up to date with chargers in vicinity, which works, which is out of order etc. And with Tesla superchargers updated live and widespread, this 'psychological barrier' is just misinformed and ill-founded…

        • microsnot on 31/03/2026 - 19:18
          +1

          It really depends where you're going. We are probably doing different road trips but I have certainly been in situations where there was only 1 or 2 public charger in regional towns and it is a 50 kW Evie charger. Also had moments where mobile coverage is poor as well so now I keep RFID fob for charge sessions now. It's not like Tesla Superchargers are everywhere. Going to Ballarat or Bendigo or Geelong is generally fine.

    • whyisave on 31/03/2026 - 20:09

      using a mix of Tesla superchargers

      do you have LFP or NMC battery ?

  • Hybroid on 29/03/2026 - 19:21
    +6

    That entirely depends on where you live and what's around you. in SW Sydney, there's no shortage of chargers and you can easily live off that (which I have done for months).

    Coles has fast charging 75-150 kW EVIE units, Ampol petrol stations have their own 150 kW fast chargers, and Woolworths tend to have the slower 7-22 kW BYO-cable Chargefox chargers. Then there's Jolts littered around train stations and hotels that charge at snails pace.

    You do pay for these considerably more than home electricity (~60c/kW) but it's still much cheaper than petrol. Absolutely doable without home charging.

    • mindlessshopper on 29/03/2026 - 19:51

      I've seen those Jolts mini stations and actually think they are quite interesting.
      Just not sure if migrating to EV within 1 or 2 years entirely is a foreseeable/considerable plan for people like me who lives in an apartment/sharehouse but knowing its definitely cheaper compared to petrol (duh).. it probably is something to consider !

    • Devastator0 on 30/03/2026 - 08:57

      I live in SW Sydney and near me, there's only a small handful of chargers within like 10km and the ones that are near me, 1/2 the time only 1/2 are working and they're slow <75kW units.

  • trankillity on 30/03/2026 - 08:32
    +6

    Have had an EV for 2 years now, charging exclusively off a normal 10A socket in my garage 90% of the time on the weekends. Only time I've used public chargers is on long road trips. No issues whatsoever, even with it being used 5 days a week. Most of them come with 75kWh+ batteries these days which will get you 500+km range on a full charge.

    The only time you need a 32A wall charger is if you drive for a living doing Uber or lots of regional work. If you do go regional frequently, grab the PlugShare app and filter to DC fast chargers and see if there's many around where you frequent. You don't want anything slower than a DC fast charger for "refuels".

    • Eeples on 30/03/2026 - 23:31

      Some ppl take advantage of cheaper charging windows like AGL midnight to 6am for 8c/kW. Using a 10amp charger in that 6 hour window would only get you about 10kW if you’re lucky. For some this is not enough to commute every day. So, installing a 30amp socket or a wired home charger makes sense to charge at 7kw/hr for 6 hours at the cheap rate overnight. (Also, of course, less charging in general).

      • trankillity on 31/03/2026 - 08:47

        There are rare circumstances where this works out (as I mentioned, where you drive for work) - but these "EV Plans" also have worse anytime rates. So if you have solar and the ability to charge off it, you are still worse off with these plans.

        • Eeples on 31/03/2026 - 17:30

          I disagree.

          I would suggest for most ppl on not on solar some EV plans are worth it.

          I invite you to check the rates of the AGL Night Saver EV plan.

          • trankillity on 01/04/2026 - 09:27

            @Eeples: What part about

            So if you have solar and the ability to charge off it, you are still worse off with these plans.

            did you miss?

  • bweiss on 30/03/2026 - 09:07
    +5

    Owning an EV without a charger is relatively straight forward. I do it.
    I live in an apartment, and the car parking doesn't (yet) have provision for any EV charging.

    It's definitely not as convenient as just plugging it in each night when I get home, but it's not such a problem.
    Here in Melbourne there are plenty of chargers around, so it's just about finding one at a rate that you're ok with at the time and charging it up.
    I charged last weekend when I went out for dinner. Just parked it in a charging bay, hooked up and went for dinner. When I'd returned, the car had gone from ~10% up to 85% which is enough for another two or so weeks of driving for me (Geely EX5 with about 400km range).
    Most shopping centres have chargers too.

    • 82norm on 30/03/2026 - 10:55

      Out of curiosity, what did it end up costing?

      • bweiss on 30/03/2026 - 13:56
        +3

        The charging? 1hr 16mins, 38.29kWh @ $0.45/kWh = $17.23
        And that 39.29kWh will get me about 300km (currently averaging 12.7kWh/100km)

        • sween64 on 31/03/2026 - 09:07

          Which model? That’s pretty efficient. I’ve got a BYD Atto 3 and it’s 15.5 kWh/100km.

          • bweiss on 31/03/2026 - 13:17
            +1

            @sween64: MY26 Geely EX5 Complete
            I think the key with EVs is to really avoid using the brakes as much as possible. Minimise speed changes.
            I've got it set to ECO mode, and high regen setting also, which helps with the regenerative braking, and decreases the launch profile so it's a bit slower off the line also (although a foot to the floor will still beat pretty much every other non-EV vehicle out there).

            My driving is pretty much all 40km/hr-80km/hr however (very urban), which is definitely what lets me get so low.
            The few times I've done a 100km/hr or 110km/hr zone it was much more around the 16-17kwh/100km at cruise.

            • sween64 on 31/03/2026 - 16:26

              @bweiss: Ah yes, I do like to accelerate quickly. I should use Eco mode for road trips.

        • mindlessshopper on 31/03/2026 - 13:16

          thats actually such a good price with petrol currently costing me so much haha

          • whyisave on 31/03/2026 - 20:08

            @mindlessshopper: When you start paying $0.65 - 90 per kWh for charging, it was starting to cost 'close' to petrol/diesel, … because it is not as cheap, as say, 5+ years ago but obviously this comparison was before this Iran conflict.

            Now, it just depends on whether charging companies will start increasing the charging prices.

        • whyisave on 31/03/2026 - 20:06

          $0.45/kWh = $17.23

          Do you remember, which company charger was that ?

          • bweiss on 01/04/2026 - 08:03
            +2

            @whyisave: It was ChargeFox. But it depends much more on 'where' and 'how fast' as to how much it costs.
            This was "13-15 Edward Street, Brunswick, VIC, 3056"

            The best bet is to avoid fast chargers themselves. If you can find an 11kW / 22kW charger and just give it a few hours, it'll be much cheaper than trying to do a 10 minute full charge with a 500kW charger.

            Obviously long trips do tend to require charging along the way, and it's not always convenient to stop for a few hours to charge, in which case a fast charger every so often combined with a rest stop makes sense. But those long trips with fast chargers won't be the most economical.

          • Oz8argain on 02/04/2026 - 14:36
            +1

            @whyisave: chargefox is mostly cheaper than most

  • npnp on 30/03/2026 - 13:13
    +4

    I have both Tesla and Toyota hybrid.
    Reliability: Toyota hybrid wins hands down, decades of proven track record, 10 year unlimited km warranty and cheap parts availability so no contest there (whoever told you hybrids aren't reliable has been dishonest)

    Fuel cost: If you have a home charger, Tesla wins due to high efficiency especially in city driving conditions, but if you only use external chargers, and drive a lot of high way kilometres where EV efficiency degrades rapidly, then it becomes a tie if the fuel prices are normal (in current crazy price scenario, EVs are cheaper though)

    Depreciation: EVs are worse (I sold a 2022 Corolla Hybrid and bought Tesla model 3 for pretty much same money LOL, brand new prices of these two are vastly different)

    My advice: Go for a second hand Tesla if you can get one under 30K (2021+ models) and you like spiritual driving and mostly do city driving. Go for second hand Toyota hybrid if you drive a lot of highway kilometres and value reliability & resale value

    They both are great cars, just for different reasons.

  • Fredfloresjr on 29/03/2026 - 19:24
    +3

    Bro you are like 2016 worrying about charging your car.

    • mindlessshopper on 29/03/2026 - 19:26

      Haha yes ! I have never really thought about diving into looking up about EVs and the technology or the infrastructure around it.
      Still stuck with the mindset that its just another trend that will come down by itself and petrol will still be the most reliable source of energy for day to day transportation.

      • MrHyde on 29/03/2026 - 19:41
        +3

        Is it though - isnt the sun more reliable than petrol?

        solar + battery + EV = near $0 cost to run a car. Just need to factor in insurance, rego, tyres, future road tax. With Tesla - minimal servicing as well.

        • mindlessshopper on 29/03/2026 - 19:44

          yes ! thats my exact thought nowadays. I guess back then when EV just popped up I was thinking how costly it will be to build our own infrastructure at home then whats the point of owning a car which then you have to stress about building your own power station (solar panel + battery)

      • p1 ama on 30/03/2026 - 00:05
        +3

        Still stuck with the mindset that its just another trend that will come down by itself and petrol will still be the most reliable source of energy for day to day transportation.

        I genuinely wish I had the ignorance to be able to confidently assert something like this (especially, as we are in the middle of an oil supply shock). I've always wondered how people can say things which are so obviously thoughtless.

        Petrol is literally the least reliable source of energy we have. It is the energy source which is most sensitive to geopolitical events, is the most volatile, and there have been multiple shocks and crises related to oil over the past century. Wars are continuously fought over oil, various leaders are overthrown and puppet governments put in over oil…etc.

        Significant amounts of the world's oil supplies are controlled by countries in unstable regions of the world, whom we have questionable alliances with, and whose governments (and monarchies) can easily be overthrown at any moment (either by our allies, our adversaries, or random terrorist / militia groups), driving global oil supply into total chaos. No other energy source, whether it be nuclear, coal, renewables are anywhere near as volatile as oil.

        It's also an energy source which is very difficult to diversify away from. You can't run your petrol cars on unicorn farts. You can, however, run your EV on coal, wind, solar, natural gas, diesel, nuclear, geothermal, hydro…etc. Have you ever done some thinking about why we stopped burning oil in lamps and why you don't have a diesel generator in your backyard to power your house? Bingo, because it's bloody unreliable, volatile, and expensive.

        • mindlessshopper on 31/03/2026 - 13:07

          It is indeed very thoughtless, I have always been so ignorance but im trying to be more critical with my surroundings and seek better understanding for example starting this discussion.
          Yes you are totally right, I am not so far from the era of oil burning to power the lamps and the usage of diesel generator (overseas), it is a good way to see and consider things.
          appreciate your comment !

  • aimon on 30/03/2026 - 11:08
    +3

    Yes, you can. Just will take overnight to charge

    I have a Tesla and no home charger. Just plug the travel charger into the wall from 12-6 with AGL EV plan.

  • The General on 30/03/2026 - 16:55
    +3

    We have a Plug In Hybrid (PHEV). We charge it at home using a standard house hold powerpoint.
    We can get 50kms from one charge and it takes about 5 hours to charge it if empty.
    As we do mostly small drives such as picking up the kids, going to the shops, driving to work twice a week (16km round trip), family weekend visits etc, etc, we can get away with hardly using the ICE. Thus we use bugger all petrol. We went three months without filling at one stage. It was only filled as we drove interstate.
    We have plenty of solar panels at home and a Tesla Powerwall so don't need the grid to chart it to often.
    The beauty about a PHEV is we still have the ICE to do longer drives when ever we need to.

    It was purchased about three years ago when petrol prices were starting to go through the roof back then for some other reason. The car was getting filled about once a week or so. It was estimated that it would not be long before it was going to cost $100 a week in fuel. So we figured that on that number (which may have been a bit extreme) we could save $5000 of fuel costs per year if we were diligent on the recharging. After three years, we may not have saved $15000, but it would be not far off it.

    Looking at the bigger picture, with current petrol costs, we probably are saving $100 per week. If we keep the car for at least 5 years, that's $25k saved. 10 years (as long as we still get the mileage from it), $50k saved. These are hopeful numbers but may end up being accurate.

    So you work out the sums for yourself. If you plan to keep the car for many years, it may end up saving you a fortune.
    Good luck.

    • Oz8argain on 02/04/2026 - 14:42

      remember to do regular oil changes regardless of km on ICE. don't leave too much petrol in the tank for too long unused.

  • Ooops on 30/03/2026 - 09:04
    +2

    I've had an EV without 7kw charger for 8 months. Granny charger works fine, just keep it plugged in every time you are at home.

  • ReaperX22 on 30/03/2026 - 10:58
    +2

    Some people might will say Hybrid, but are they even that reliable, heard people saying yes it saves you bucks but the repair of the car in the event of damage will also costly.
    Wonder what OzBargainers actually think.

    I think this is realistically true for any car, no? I've got a Civic Hybrid.. Any bad enough crash will be expensive/a write off for most cars, tech excluded. I think the issue comes where the hybrid models cost more up front than their non-hybrid counterparts; so the 'will make it up in fuel' argument won't really kick in til like… 20 years later lol. BUT there's some benefits I spose not always mentioned - regen really helps with brake wear, my pads/rotors etc last service (1 year in) were basically 90% still of their original, so there's a few other components that help with reducing wear/tear items…

    Realistically, most ICE should be replaced with hybrids, starting at entry level like Toyota are slowly doing; but price increases can't also be present if we want to ensure true uptake.

    IMO, moving most of the public over to hybrids reduces emissions by a fair amount, reduces fuel use by a lot, and has less downsides than going full EV for a lot of people (like me as a renter, similar position no promise to be able to charge). - Also I mean non-plug in hybrids. PHEV are… weird. Often super heavy, if you're doing trips short enough to always use EV, just get an EV, and if you're doing long trips regularly, go non-plug in or stick with an efficient ICE if its for work etc

  • TheMindsetTraveller on 30/03/2026 - 13:33
    +2

    I use an EV but don't have off-site parking. We have pole mounted chargers nearby but they charge 40c/kw and are like 11kw/hr which is very slow but we charge overnight. At 40c/kw this is roughly what the average home energy cost is, and I would say this is almost break-even point with an ICE car.

    Sure, we can access the faster chargers but then they charge upwards of 90c/kwhr which to me is not worth it.

  • Lunarboogie on 30/03/2026 - 21:41
    +2

    I brought an EV last month, just days before this latest American folly. I charge it at home from 11 - 3pm when it is 10c per kwh and it takes 4 hours per week to give me the 300km range that I need each week.

    For the first 10 days that I owned the car, I survived on a granny charger and probably should have stayed on that, but I had already ordered a wall unit as I thought they were mandatory. I was wrong. You can get by without it.

    • ReaperX22 on 31/03/2026 - 11:53

      I think this is a great point. A lot of people can absolutely get by with just a standard wall charger with a daily plugin! Don't need no fancy wall charger install/hookup or battery.. Can definitely feel like the considerations around 'oh I need a wall charger.. maybe a battery.. oh we don't have solar' like you want to pile on all the extra costs to 'justify' it or make it work; but unless you're doing like 100k a day in your EV, it's probably not required!

  • eleon00 on 31/03/2026 - 10:14
    +2

    i used to live in an apartment in melbs cbd when i got my m3. i tried asking for the strata to allow me to wire up a normal socket close to my parking spot so i can plug my portable charger into it. they brought it up for agenda during the meetings but ended up rejecting it due to load balancing concerns and having everyone wire up to their car parks (despite me being the only ev owner at that time). what i ended up doing is every week, i would park overnight at a paid carpark nearby that had a level 2 charger and charge there ($5 for overnight park, and free use of charger). this was my setup for about a year until i moved to another apartment in prahran that had its own charger (for free) in the basement.

    there is a company called alchemy charge (https://www.alchemycharge.com.au/) that can install a socket for you at your parking spot and remit any electricity use back to the body corp. you still have to request access for them to install it but it might be a smoother process since another company is pleading your case.

    in the long run, it would still be a lot cheaper to run an EV than ICE. in the last 5 years of owning one, ive only had to replace tires twice and top up my wiper fluid every 4 months or so. and oh! i also had to replace my 12v battery (of all things! lol) after it died on me on my 4th year. there is no oil change, no timing belt replacements, no spark plug concerns, no worries of me having an engine failure in the middle of the highway during a long trip.

    it has been a stressfree ownership so far and though im eyeing another ev (one that can do bi directional charging that can do v2h), i will more likely keep my current ev for another 5 years. im never going back to ICE.

    edit: grammar corrections

  • integriti on 01/04/2026 - 13:49
    +2

    My 2c, I've had an EV since Jan 2023, and I initially did the whole opportunistic charging at the shops to keep it topped up for around 8 months. I was lucky as there's a local shops with low EV traffic and was I able to spend my WFH days charging from 20% to 100% while working in my car in absolute comfort despite it being middle of summer.

    I eventually switched to an EV electricity plan (free electricity 11am-2pm and 8c kW/h 12am-6am). To date, my data shows that I've charged ~32,000kms of range at home at a grand total of ~$350.

    My daily commute is 80kms round-trip around 3 days a week, and I only charge via the 10A granny charger that came with my car during those free/cheap hours. With this routine I rarely go below 70% battery. I'll dip below 50% if I drive a lot on a weekend, but easily get back up to 100% over the week without any deviation to my charging pattern.

  • 87percent on 29/03/2026 - 19:29
    +1

    The one thing I’m worried about with all these EV’s is the repair time IF you get into an accident. I’ve been hearing horror stories of BYD taking 3 months to be repaired because no parts

    • greater mimic on 30/03/2026 - 09:10
      +3

      I would say BYD are one of the better ones with a pretty established network.

      I've had a couple repairs on a BYD and there's been no problem sourcing parts quickly. I recently had a rear bumper replacement, and from date of accident to receiving my car back it only took about 3 weeks, including assessing the damage and transporting to the repairer, which was a week alone.

      But I would be a bit worried about some of the newer brands until they're better established in Aus.

      • mindlessshopper on 31/03/2026 - 13:10

        more brands are coming but I can see myself buying BYD or Tesla if that opportunity ever comes !

        • greater mimic on 31/03/2026 - 17:10

          I would avoid Tesla, plus their cars don't have the edge anymore, they haven't kept up with the competition to justify their prices. BYD have a huge range of cars in Aus now and I hear a lot of good things about the Atto 2.

    • DPW on 30/03/2026 - 07:44
      +1

      It’s not really any different to any other type of car. Get the hire car option with insurance if needed

    • mindlessshopper on 29/03/2026 - 19:33

      Shocking to read about the repair time considering how BYD has become a new norm now, I've seen at least 1BYD care in every 10 car I drove pass (not an actual scientific finding, just to make a point)

    • gromit on 31/03/2026 - 08:13

      Wish I could say it was any different for ICE cars. took them 3 months to repair my european car after some hail damage while they waited for parts.

    • dji1111111 on 01/04/2026 - 12:15

      Maybe you haven't been to a panel beater recently. Regardless of parts availability, you will often be waiting a few weeks for repair.
      Someone I know damaged their Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid and the earliest slot available was 3 weeks. Some were quoting 6 weeks

    • Wiadro on 29/03/2026 - 19:40
      -2

      its easier to write one off than repair it eg Telsa
      more Tesla salvage
      than actual teslas for auction

      • mindlessshopper on 29/03/2026 - 19:56

        having not able to see the price range or offered price is stressing me out for some reason !
        but yeah, thats crazy to see people just prefer to sell it for "minor" dent, XD

        • Wiadro on 29/03/2026 - 20:32
          +2

          Minor dent is an issue when there’s no parts available

        • Gunnar on 29/03/2026 - 21:55

          What looks like a ‘minor dent’ may not be. If you crash an EV and the batteries are damaged then there’s a high chance it will be a financial write off.

          Have a read of this it’s a couple of years old but my understanding is the situation hasn’t changed induce then (it’s also provides you with context as to why EVs have higher insurance costs):
          https://www.carexpert.com.au/car-news/why-electric-vehicles-…

          (And the above is Hence my earlier point about looking into the cost of repairs for an EV)

          • mindlessshopper on 31/03/2026 - 13:09

            @Gunnar: that is true, its always supply and demand.
            I always see EV like an iphone, we are lucky here that we have apple network to repair our phones or replace whats necessary but in countries where apple does not have a good reach, android still preferred because parts are easy to find and cheaper !

  • Euphemistic on 29/03/2026 - 19:44
    +1

    Firstly: i dont own an EV.

    IMO it depends on your daily usage. I wouldnt want to be charging more than weekly at a public charger, same as going for petrol. More than once a week is a pain.

    However, if you have access to a charger at a place you regularly then its not hard. So if your workplace, gym or local shops have a charger you can use while going about your regular routine its not a terrible idea.

    You would probably want a longer range EV to reduce your trips to a charger. You need to be prepared to be inconvenienced a bit because charge infrastructure is not anywhere near as common as a petrol pump … for now. Chargers are only goijg to become more common as more EVs appear.

    Hybrid, maybe, there are no significant concerns with expensive repairs, its misinformation.
    Plug in hybrid: waste of time unless you can charge at home.

    • mindlessshopper on 29/03/2026 - 19:53

      Some ozbargainers pointed out, servos are actually offering EV chargers now which i think its really well considering their business model is to hope people visit their tiny little shop and actually buy something.

      Plug in hybrid, thats a new one for me !

  • Brick Tamland on 29/03/2026 - 19:56
    +1

    You need an accessible charger. Be it at home, work or the gym, it needs to handy. You also need to note the charge rates of public EV charging. Some arent even that cheap and hybrid might be cheaper to run

    • DPW on 30/03/2026 - 07:47
      +2

      Even with a public charger at $0.70/kWh and an EV using 17kWh/100km it’s $11.90/100km. So even with fuel at $2.00/L, you would need a car with less than 6L/100km consumption to beat it. Obviously if you charge for less than $0.70 or petrol is more than $2.00/L then the numbers favour the EV

      • askbargain on 30/03/2026 - 11:19

        70cents is definitely at the higher end. 30-50 is more accurate.

        • DPW on 01/04/2026 - 23:36

          Most public charging in TAS is between $0.62-$0.82 unfortunately. That’s what I was basing off. The two Tesla Superchargers are $0.41 and $0.51 but this pricing only available for Teslas.

  • mskeggs on 29/03/2026 - 21:21
    +1

    I don’t expect petrol prices to be elevated long term, like more than a year, most likely much less.
    But I also expect power prices to fall unevenly.
    At my place, power is 8c a kWh, which is what we pay for night time EV charging.
    If you can charge at home, and/or can charge some of the time on solar, and/or you can consider a EV then it seems like EVs are now the better bet.

    If you don’t have access to cheap power and you aren’t looking for a new car, then I don’t think it stacks up economically.

    If you do a lot of kilometres and can get access to cheap power, and you were ready to get a new car, it probably does.

    It is also reasonable to assume when EVs stack up economically for average users (12,000km a year) there won’t be incentives to get them, they will just be the default choice. I think that is 5 years away for new car buyers. But by then there will be a healthy second hand EV market too.

    • 2212053 on 30/03/2026 - 11:29

      At my place, power is 8c a kWh, which is what we pay for night time EV charging.

      Just like the high solar feed-in tariffs of 10-20 years ago, I hope you're not expecting this to last. As the market becomes saturated with EVs charging overnight your loss-leader power rates will no longer be the norm. This overnight electricity is neither green nor cheap to produce.

      Hooray for saving the environment by filling up our single occupant 2-ton hunks of metal by burning coal all night!

      • md333 on 30/03/2026 - 12:17
        +1

        In WA the cheap charging is in the middle of the day to soak up excess solar. Even with more batteries I don't think that is likely to go away. More wind will also result in excess power at night.

      • mskeggs on 30/03/2026 - 12:50
        +1

        I agree the night time cheap tariffs will disappear, but likely not the day time.
        I also agree with the 2-ton hunks of metal comment. 8c is the marginal cost, we have solar and are adding more, but will likely always have sporadic need for the grid.
        We live in a capitalist system, so you do the best you can within the parameters available.

      • Ricktheroller on 31/03/2026 - 21:02

        Depends where you live, for me the primary source of overnight electricity is wind farms which are usually curtailed. Seems like a pretty good use of otherwise wasted green energy production.

        From what I've seen installation of new wind farms hasn't been slowing so I don't see any reason for this to stop anytime soon.

  • ytthr on 30/03/2026 - 08:10
    +1

    I have a friend that has never charged his Tesla at home, only uses public charger at local shopping centre when we does his shopping.
    I think he gets some tax benefits what he uses his EV charge card.
    Funny part is he has solar and batteries at home, bur being a family of 6 I think they use most the full battery most days.

  • 82norm on 30/03/2026 - 08:49
    +1

    In China some EV manufacturers are designing their vehicles so the batteries can be changed over like gas bottles, ‘swap and go’. Basically you pull up to an EV servo, pay for the swap and robotics takes care of the rest. All done under 10mins.

    It should have been designed this way from the beginning vs now having to come up with bespoke solutions. I can’t see anyway forward the government, local councils are going to be able build enough public charging bays, charging poles to meet the future demand.

    • freefall101 on 30/03/2026 - 10:52

      It's not a bad idea, but one that won't be necessary in the long run. High powered platforms and solid state batteries mean that 10 minutes of charging will get you further than you can drive in a day within the next decade or so. Battery swapping was a short term solution.

      But it's the opposite problem to gas bottles. Gas bottles swaps aren't there because they're slow to fill, it's there because it's much easier to have gas bottles at every servo than everyone go to a more centralised place with bigger bottles to get them filled. You can still get a bottle filled (and it's usually cheaper).

      EV battery swap hardware would cost too much to have everywhere, particularly if brands can't agree on a standard battery and it needed to deal with multiple models. It also makes the cars worse - not even phones have replaceable batteries anymore because fixed allows for thinner batteries, more capacity and greater design flexibility. I'd also be really worried about the first time a battery "disconnects", those connectors would need to be really solid for it never to lose power going over pothole or something.

      • trongy on 30/03/2026 - 14:08
        +1

        The Chinese company pioneering battery swaps is Nio. They have 3,700 battery swap stations in China and they have swapped batteries 100 million times so it seems to be working over there.

        Australia is a much smaller market than China so I'm doubtful that a single brand can afford to build sufficient battery swap stations in a country like Australia.

        • freefall101 on 30/03/2026 - 17:43

          Apparently it's not looking financially viable though, even if they could stop the abuses they're bleeding money.

          However they've only sold a million cars or so (as at the end of 2025), that scales significantly better than I would have though. $US210K per battery swap station is way cheaper than I would have thought, you'd pay more in Australia for the land to put that on.

          It'll never come to Australia (particularly because we wouldn't use it very often. I use a fast charger maybe 3-4 times a year, I'd charge at home rather than pay through the nose for a battery swap), but hopefully Nio can make it work. Their solid state batteries seem interesting, I'd love to be able to drop in a 150KWh battery for a long weekend then switch back to a smaller one for the week.

  • BuddhaBoy on 30/03/2026 - 13:15
    +1

    Have few friends that live in apartments and own a model 3/Y. They don't have charging facility so charge once at supercharger or any third party chargers. All have said, it has become much easier as there are tons of charging options close-by.

  • grr1701 on 30/03/2026 - 14:40
    +1

    My friend simply plugs into a 10amp socket and charges after 12.00am at 8c. You don’t need a dedicated EV charging outlet, apparently. (It is a slow charge, though). Cheaper if he had solar and charged it during the day.

    • urahara on 31/03/2026 - 11:15

      The tesla wallcharger can be fraction of cost that you will save compared to normal vehicle.

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